Why is Mourinho’s supercar backfiring? We look under the bonnet... and try to fix it

almost £19, valuing United at close to £3.2billion. That makes Woodward bulletproof.

But the fact that United are now looking to bring in their first director of football to conduct future transfer business illustrates that even Woodward has come to accept that his commercial brilliance cannot make up for his lack of football expertise.

United’s owners also want to keep Mourinho. For now. It would cost them £50million to pay up the contract which was extended to 2020 just seven months ago in a deal which also carries an option for a further 12 months.

David Moyes lasted just 10 months after succeeding Ferguson, while Louis van Gaal’s two-year stint in charge was ended just days after he won the FA Cup because Mourinho was available and seen as the only manager capable of competing with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

But United are looking at potential replacements for Mourinho should a parting of the ways become unavoidable.

And Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, available after guiding Real Madrid to three successive Champions League triumphs, is their top choice.

How United could do with Ferguson’s counsel now. Sir Alex took up a position on the club’s football board when he retired in glory five years ago.

But the 76-year-old was left fighting for his life when he suffered a brain haemorrhage in May and seems unlikely that he will be asked to involve himself in sorting out the mess.

But a truce – no matter how uneasy – has to be brokered somehow. And quickly. Or Mourinho may have to scratch that all-too-familiar three-year itch himself, by walking out.